Laurence Dominic
Portrayed by Reed Diamond, Laurence Dominic is a recurring character in Dollhouse. Dominic is the Chief Security Officer of the Dollhouse and was originally written as one-episode character for "Echo", the original pilot. In October 2008 Joss Whedon announced that Dominic will become a recurring character: "Laurence Dominic (played by Reed Diamond), who was written just for the now-defunct first ep, has stuck like fly-paper, and Reed is very much in the family for the present". Dominic's Role Laurence Dominic is head of security for the L.A. Dollhouse, and is also an undercover agent with the National Security Agency (NSA). He appears to be responsible for the dolls when they are on an engagement, and for running background checks on prospective clients. He also seeks to maintain the secrecy of the Dollhouse. He believes Agent Paul Ballard to be a threat and advocated killing him. During Alpha's composite event he personally directed the response, weapon in hand. The mission parameters Dominic has received from the NSA are ambiguous. It is revealed (in "A Spy in the House of Love") that he, contrary to what one might think, is instructed to aid the Dollhouse in sustaining control over the imprinting technology. This suggests that the NSA estimates the uncontrolled dissemination of the imprinting technology to be a greater threat to society than the controlled distribution of the technology by the Dollhouse's doings. Dominic has shown hostility toward Echo on several occasions, which appears to be partly a result of security issues resulting from her engagements and partially because he doesn't like dolls. He has twice tried to kill Echo, by knocking her unconscious in a burning building in "True Believer" and attacking her outright in "A Spy in the House of Love". After having been uncovered as an NSA spy in "A Spy in the House of Love", Dominic, in the face of being banished to the Attic, seems to be comforted by the thought of Echo bringing down the Dollhouse, suggesting that this would be his own course of action. Whether his attitude indicates that Dominic has some information about Echo which foreshadows the events of season two, or whether this is simply wishful thinking, remains unclear. In "The Attic" and "Getting Closer", Dominic is consistently trying to help Echo, stating that he is "glad he didn't kill her after all," to which Echo ironically replies, "Don't get sloppy." Biography On Topher's first day on the job, Dominic resents Topher treating the job like "a dorm room" and his humorous, light-hearted attitude towards the job. The scene ends with DeWitt ordering Dominic to retrieve Topher's fridge, a request that was made earlier in the scene. ( ) In "True Believer", Dominic raided the building along with other officials, rendered Echo unconscious and left her there, hoping she would become another nameless casualty. Boyd managed to intervene and saved Echo. When confronted by Adelle, Dominic claimed he only did it because Echo was going down the same road as Alpha, and he wished to avoid a repeat performance to save the Dollhouse's interests. In "Echoes", Laurence was affected by an inhibition-relief drug while on a mission in the Rossum labs. While there he encountered Echo, in the Alice personality, who was off-mission and trying to infiltrate the lab. He apologized profusely for trying to kill her, and begged her to understand that he is a person underneath the persona he carries at work. Not recognizing Dominic, Echo "forgave" him, in an attempt to humor him. In "A Spy in the House of Love", Laurence is found out to be spying on the Dollhouse for the National Security Agency. He sent Sierra out on a mission that he set up so that he could frame Ivy as the spy, but Topher had engaged Echo as a spy hunter as well. Once Echo was around him long enough, she figured out that he was the spy using deductive skills and he attacked her. While tied up after the fight and questioned by Adelle he said that he was protecting the Dollhouse and "If it weren't for me, Paul Ballard would have found you already", which came true shortly after. Adelle then sent him into the lab to give him a "mind suck." He stole a guard's gun and attempted to shoot himself in the head, then tried to shoot Adelle, grazing her abdomen. His mind extracted, he was sent to the Attic. In "Briar Rose", an encrypted message was sent by Alpha to Dominic. DeWitt had Dominic's consciousness imprinted in Victor, and Dominic provided the password. While on sedatives and truth drugs, he referred to Dr. Saunders by the Active name Whiskey, although this was dismissed as a request for alcohol. In the Attic, Dominic was trapped in a mental loop, working for the NSA, but he later broke free and spent much of his time hunting the Attic's internal serial killer, "Arcane". Dominic was able to mentally link with Echo, Sierra and Victor, helping them fend off Arcane. They later discovered the killer to be Clyde Randolph, one of the two founders of the Rossum Corporation, who was also trapped there. Dominic decided to remain behind to help free people from the Attic.( ) In the penultimate episode of season two, "Getting Closer", Dominic had escaped from the Attic, and ran into Echo, who was apparently barely managing to walk down the stairs. Dominic was in very bad condition, probably due to the constant adrenalin-overdrive-induced stress in the Attic; however, he was still able to convey his message to Echo, "Clyde is dead. They are coming for you now," before collapsing. It is notable that, in order to escape, Dominic must have died in the Attic, only to revive himself by willpower, a feat that until this point had seemed to be confined to Echo, as Priya had to be revived through CPR after having died inside the Attic. Dominic was subsequently treated in the infirmary, where Dr. Saunders, Paul and Adelle debated about how to keep him stable. Adelle determined to return Dominic to the attic in his own interest, which he vehemently refuses by saying: "I'd rather die!" Dominic returned to good health shortly thereafter. It is unclear whether and how DeWitt saved him, though there is reference to DeWitt sending for him and someone briefing him on the world-wide catastrophe. Here, Dominic conveyed both contempt for DeWitt for his time in the Attic and satisfaction that the Dollhouse has fallen apart, its technology allowing the world to fall into chaos and anarchy. In particular, he said seeing the face of the now-crazy Topher was "almost worth the price of the ticket." He lorded the situation over DeWitt, even shooting a decanter of whiskey out of her hand. At the end, DeWitt told him that the technology for a "cure" from imprinting exists and belongs with Caroline, prompting Dominic to ask, "Which one's Caroline?"( ) The plot of "Getting Closer" and "The Hollow Men" suggested that Dominic's encounder with DeWitt occurred during the aftermath of the destruction of the Rossum Headquarters in Tucson, since the series finale "Epitaph Two: Return" was set in the post-apocalyptic future of 2020. Dominic does not appear in the series finale. His fate is unknown. He is speculated to have died before the events of the episode, most likely killed by butchers. Notes & References